The actress reprised the role of Rue Bennett after nearly four years in a widely criticized overall season of the HBO drama.

Zendaya earns Emmy nomination for Euphoria return after character’s devastating death scene

The actress reprised the role of Rue Bennett after nearly four years in a widely criticized overall season of the HBO drama.

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Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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July 8, 2026 11:41 a.m. ET

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Zendaya on ‘Euphoria’ season 3. Credit:

- Zendaya scored another Emmy nomination for her work on *Euphoria*.

- The actress returned for the third and final season after winning two prior Emmys for the show.

- Zendaya was praised for her performance, in which her character Rue Bennett dies, in an otherwise heavily criticized season.

Zendaya‘s grand return to *Euphoria* was met with golden fanfare.

On Wednesday, the actress received another Emmy nomination for her leading performance as Rue Bennett on the HBO drama’s third and final season, which debuted earlier this year to divided critical and fan reaction.

Though the season was widely criticized, Zendaya’s return as Rue for the first time since 2022’s season 2 closer drew consistent praise, with particularly positive notices for her turn in the series finale that included Rue’s devastating death scene after she ingested Percocet pills that were, unbeknownst to her, laced with fentanyl.

Zendaya as Rue Bennett on ‘Euphoria’.

Patrick Wymore/HBO

Zendaya’s nomination marks her first since winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work on season 2. She previously won the same category for *Euphoria*‘s inaugural season, meaning that, if she wins, she will have swept the bracket for her entire run on the Sam Levinson-created drama.

In addition to her acting work on *Euphoria*, Zendaya has three other Emmy nominations: Two for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (season 2’s “Elliott’s Song” and “I’m Tired”), and one as a producer of the 2022 Outstanding Drama Series nominee.

Zendaya’s return as Rue came after the show’s four-year hiatus between seasons, with most major actors returning for the final season, including Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Colman Domingo, Maude Apatow, and Jacob Elordi, whose character also died (an arguably more disturbing death while buried alive and bitten by a venomous snake) during season 3.

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The 29-year-old actress bid farewell to Rue on the set of the series, as seen in a video that HBO shared from her final day of shooting shortly after the series finale.

“I just wanted to say thank you. I’m incredibly grateful for every single one of you,” Zendaya said in the footage, speaking to the crew on a microphone.

Growing visibly emotional, Zendaya continued, “Many of you have been here from the beginning and watched me grow up. It’s been such a pleasure and an honor. Thank you so much.”

Zendaya and Hunter Schafer on ‘Euphoria’.

Patrick Wymore/HBO

Speaking about the end of the season, Levinson told the *Popcast* podcast that, “In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is the story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me,” after previously revealing to ** that the season served as a tribute to late star Angus Cloud, who died of a drug overdose in 2023.

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“I fought very hard to keep him clean when he was alive, and losing him was really tough,” Levinson told EW at the season 3 premiere, adding that he kept his character alive in the show to keep Cloud’s legacy alive, too.

The 2026 Emmys — hosted by Mariska Hargitay — air Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.

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Source: “EW Emmys”